Bear School Astartes

Chapter 865: Chapter 848: Understanding the Divine

”Are you saying that everyone is now interested in the ’Demon Hunter’ group because of me and is studying them thoroughly, not wanting to miss any little sign? So your focus on Demon Hunters is normal and widespread, without reason to be suspected, right?”

Under Lann’s calm inquiry, Viggo Fortez also replied calmly.

”Of course, I must admit. I was already interested in Demon Hunters before these events occurred. But it wasn’t because of anything else; it’s because Demon Hunters are, at present, the group most deeply and commonly entangled with the Law of Accidents in the world.”

”Who wouldn’t be interested in the elusive and fickle fate?”

Lann interjected, ”Especially for someone like you, a Great Mage standing at the pinnacle of Wizards, doesn’t it make it even more attractive?”

”What else could it be? What else could arouse my desire?”

Viggo Fortez said quite naturally.

”During my time at Airetusa, I read your papers, Sir, and understood the crystal cultivation project you took over from Tishaya. I must say, the sharpness of thought in it is breathtaking.”

”Under her leadership, the project was seen as a joke, even when news occasionally came out. But after you took over, it swiftly advanced towards practicality, now even earning a fortune daily.”

”So, unlike those fools, I am well aware that I am dealing with a wise person with a rich knowledge base, clear logic, and nimble thinking. Not a ruthless brute waiting to kill a few people daily to revitalize, with no other pursuits in life besides flaunting power and libido.”

”Therefore, I think you should understand my yearning for knowledge.”

Lann nodded lightly.

”I understand, but I do not support probing the Law of Accidents... In this world, some things are obscure, rather as protection for the seekers.”

”Like a cabbage trying to explore the cause and impact of its existence, calling the result of thought a ’perpetual and mysterious conflict between the head and root,’ while viewing rainwater as profound high-dimensional induced power.”

”You compare me to a cabbage?” Viggo Fortez was not angry but instead became curious. ”So, in your view, what is the ’rain descending from above’?”

Lann looked at the oil painting in front of him, Tishaya’s face appeared much the same as it does now, except at that time, her eyes were as lively as a fawn’s.

The Demon Hunter just shook his head and then turned to leave.

”You are lying, Viggo Fortez, I can feel it. You concealed something from me. Your interest in Demon Hunters is not due to the Law of Accidents, but for some other reason.”

”It’s nothing, after all, everyone has things they don’t wish to speak of. But as a return, I won’t satisfy your curiosity either.”

Lann could sense other people’s emotions from the slightest detail, a gift as the Son of the Emperor.

The Sons of the Emperor often use this gift to inspire others and discern the battlefield’s direction.

From the moment Viggo Fortez saw him, the slightly disordered breathing indicated he couldn’t hide too deeply in front of Lann.

He said his interest in Demon Hunters was due to the exploration of the ’Law of Accidents’.

But in Lann’s view, what this guy desires isn’t aimed at any type of knowledge, but something more specific.

An object, or... a person.

Just as Margaret said, he is a dangerous figure with an ambitious yet adept ability to keep his intentions hidden, such people usually have clear goals.

Even if they pursue something elusive like the Law of Accidents, they certainly grasp a tangible, specific path to advance.

But unfortunately...

Just as he himself said: he mistook a reflection in the lake for a sky full of stars.

This ambition for knowledge and power is so evident, yet he does not comprehend the truth of the world.

Viggo Fortez is too young.

As Lann walked away, he shook his head and thought again of Tishaya in the oil painting.

When Lann said Viggo Fortez is young, it was clearly not from his own perspective, as the Demon Hunter was only in his early twenties.

This ’young’ is speaking from the history of Wizards.

The young Wizards presumed they had already comprehended the laws of nature, believing themselves to be the only ones advancing on the path of supernatural power using reason and logic while refuting everyone else.

But in the view of someone as seasoned as Tishaya, who had lived for nearly five hundred years and older casters?

In her early years, Tishaya had written some papers exploring the origins of clergy’s casting abilities.

After all, in the temple of Meretelli, in the hands of Cliff’s priests, in the halls of Freyja... clergy members did not need to learn theoretical knowledge or recite spells.

The casting method they used could not be understood by warlocks; they simply prayed, and then magic appeared.

Tishaya in her early years subtly proposed thoughts in her paper regarding the ’real existence of Divine Beings.’ And after Lann had prolonged contact with the Lady of the Lake, Tishaya had already confirmed the ideas in her paper.

But among the younger generation of warlocks, these extravagant, self-important casters completely lacked this exploratory consciousness.

According to Geralt, his supposedly domineering counterpart, Yennefer of Wenger Castle, once wanted him to stay overnight with her in a temple.

Doing * in front of the idol!

One could see the young generation’s attitude towards divine beings from this.

They merely assumed the priests in temples were akin to rural witch doctors or witch women, relying on imagined power to gamble with chaos magic power.

And in blindly pursuing higher levels of power and knowledge without considering, or even knowing, the existence of divine beings... Lann was not optimistic about such actions.

Viggo Fortez listened to the footsteps fading away before shifting his gaze from the oil painting to Lann’s silhouette disappearing into the shadow.

His expression showed no sign of disappointment or anger from being rejected, only deep meaning.

”No, he hasn’t seen through me yet, Lydia.”

Suddenly said something seemingly out of context, and in the direction he turned, a woman with stiff, abnormal facial features came out.

She seemed unable to speak, thus communicated with Viggo Fortez using telepathy.

”He only sensed I lied but couldn’t determine my exact goal.”

Again, speaking in a sort of soliloquy without context, yet Lydia beside him frowned.

”Such people are quite terrifying, right? Just meeting and speaking a word, he identified I lied... Tsk, how many years has it been since I’m seen so thoroughly?”

Viggo Fortez spoke with indifference, meanwhile turning his face back to the oil paintings in the Glorious Corridor.

Murmuring softly to himself.

”However, I’m certain, as long as I desire the Ancient Blood, we’ll inevitably cross paths. He is closely connected with Geralt.”

”Yes, indeed. You are correct, Lydia. He’s not just frighteningly perceptive but also has Airetusa as support.”

”Margaret and Tishaya, these two women’s levels of magic make even me shiver. Each one can match two Philippa Eilharts. But before this meeting, I always thought Philippa was more difficult to deal with than both of them combined.”

”Because they lack ambition, decisiveness, persistence, so even if highly capable, they aren’t difficult to handle. But adding this Demon Hunter... He also seems to think he comprehends the world better than me, which makes it even more interesting.”

Viggo Fortez pondered, then chuckled with interest.

”It seems that accomplishing my goal, as long as this Demon Hunter remains, will be quite troublesome.”

The youngest member in Wizard Association history chuckled softly, twirling his steel Magic Staff like holding onto a straw, gradually leading his female assistant into the corridor’s darkness.

Regardless of how various events in this world ferment, Lann was already riding the Qilin into a brand new world.